Universal hitch device



A. G. AND A. RUNNING.

UNIVERSAL HITcH DEVICE.

APPLICATION fILED JUNE 30| 1919. l

1,406,418, mm1 Feb. 14, 1922.

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' e. nomme-AND ADoLrH vvnonnina, or MINNEAPoLIsMINNEsoTeA. i

UNIvERsAL fairen DEVICE.

orggmai applicaaonmea March e, 191s, serial No e of this character by means of which various implements may be attached to a tractor i for operation thereby. v-This application is a Vdivision of our prior application, Serial Number 82,516, filed March 6, 1916, which subsequent to the ling of the present application matured into Patent Number 1,340,461? dated May 18,1920, e

The full objects and advantages of our invention will appear in connection with the detailed .description thereof and the novel features embodiedin our inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Inthev accompanying'drawings, Fig. 1Y is plan view of a'tractor showing part a to 'of the universal hitch. Iand steering device 4 in dotted lines anda truck attachedat'the rear thereof andthe tongue of another vehicle attached at the front',` thereof. Fig. 2 is a view inside elevationjoff the' construe.- tion4 shown in' Fig. 1 with oney of the drive .wheels of. the tractor removed. Fig. .3 is a detail view in'vertical section showing a portion of the universal hitch .and steering de vice..v

Shown in the drawings, Athemain framel of a tractor is carried by and substantially balanced on a shaft s and drive wheels 2l which carry at their-inner sides spur gears 3 meshl ing with spur gears 4 Awhich are carried on the outer and free ends ofthe differential shafts 5 whichare suitably journaled main frame l, and in the differential housing 6, and are connected to the engine 7 by e customary differential and clutch mechanism ordinarily employed for such purposes.v The drive wheels 2 are shown provided with'tire lsections 8 fastened by bo'lts 9. 'A steering wheel 10 is attached tofa shaft 1 1 which runs through a steering post 12 attached to a cast ing 13 ,secured to the front portion ofthe frame 1. The shaft 11 maybe connected in suitable manner toa universal knuckle 20 adapted' to be connected A to the steering Referring t0 the particular con-structionl on the" 82,516.- Divided and this `application led .Tune 30,' 1919. Serial No. 307,737.

tached at the circumferenc of -the universal hitch wheel 23 in such manner as to allow the rollers 24 to ride on a circular track Specification of Letters Patent. Paieliltd` 14,

TheJ shaft 11Vl which is provided for this/purpose on the underside of the frame 1 so asto facilitate.

the turning of the wheel 23 when it is connected to the frame 1 by abolt 26, a washer 27 and a nut A28, as shown in Fig. 3. The wheel 23 is provlded with hitch members 29 which ,are hollow so as to permit the insertion of a tongue 31 of a wagonV or truck 32. The tongue 31 is proyided-with a groove 33 cut around it so that it may be securely fastened to the tractor when the keys 34 are inserted in openings in the outer ends of the hitch members 29 in such manner as to allow the tongue to freely turn when secured by the keys. This arrangement will allow the vehicle which is attached to the tractor to pass freely over rough places and obstructions without twisting the' main frame, and,` the tractor maygbe guided and .directed by turning the universal'shitch wheel 23 by means of the steering wheel l0. The above-devscribed coupling operation may be per- .f

formed with equal ease from either end of the tractor, and the implement already attached at' one end may remain attached while the tractor is hitched at the otherend or is in proper position to be hitched tothe implement which it is desired to attach .so as to` avoid tipping the tractor when transferring the hitching connection from one implement to another. .t A shaft 36 j ournaled in the is secured to the front end of .a shaft 39 jour-l its rear end -a hand wheel .40. Chains or cables 4l are attached to the end portionsof the shaft 36.` By fastening the free ends of the -cables or rchainsI to the desired attachment the latter may be readily raised to the tractor frame into proper position to be secured thereto by turning the hand whec1-40. The attachmentl may be loweredv from the ltractor frame to the ground by turning ther tractor 'iframe carries at one end a worm gear 37 which meshes with a `worm 38 which naled inthe frame 1,v and which carries at hand wheel in the opposite direction.` The seat 43 may be attached to the tractor frame in well-known manner on either side of the steering post 12, and the position of the seat when the tractor is used for plowing andsimilar work in which the tractor is run in the opposite direction is indicated by dotted lines inl Fig. 2. The tractor may be provided with the usual friction clutch belt pulley mechanism adapted to be put into and out of action by the lever mechanism 46.

If ordinary farm implements are to be pulled by the tractor they may be provided with reach members 198 which are inserted in the sOckets 183 of the universal hitch member 29 and, being provided with groovesr33 such as shown in connection with the reach 31, they may be secured to the hitch member by inserting the keys 34. If such implement be of a nature to require .adjustment from time to time its, reach member 198 may be provided with a suflicient number of lever mechanisms 199 properly adapted for regulating by the right length of rods 200 so that the attached implement may be easily operated .from the drivers seat, which in such event is attached to the tractor frame in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. 'If such implement be ,a plow the rear end of the reach member 198 is suitably attached to the frame thereof, while the front socket rigidly attached to said wheel, andl means for detachably and rotatably securing the end of a tongue member in said socket.

2. A device of the character described comprising a tractor frame; a universal hitch wheel rotatably mounted on said frame, hitch members provided with sockets rigidly attached to said wheel at diametrically opposite points thereof, and means for detachably and rotatably securing the ends of tongue members in said sockets.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

ANDREAN G; RUNNING. ADOLPH RONNING. 

